Chapter 1233 The Goddess of War Clashes with an 8-Year-Old

Xu Yu turned his head and looked earnestly at Tang Lan.

"Lord Tang Yun, your task is to deal with large-scale beast tides or high-level soul beasts that we cannot handle quickly in the battle, thereby relieving the pressure on the front lines and preventing the defensive line from being torn apart instantly. As for these regular shocks and small to medium-sized beast tides, Xu and his soldiers can handle them."

His plan was clear: he didn't expect Tang Lan to personally slaughter every low-level soul beast, but rather to use him as a key trump card and a firefighter, to be used where he was most needed.

This is also the most reasonable way to give full play to the role of Tanglan.

Tang Lan looked at the seven-star battle formations below the city, which remained as steady as a rock amidst the flames and blood, and at the seemingly endless shadows of the beast tide in the darkness further away, and nodded calmly.

"Sure. Just let me know when a high-level soul beast appears."

Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er stood side by side, their gazes calmly overlooking the bloody battlefield below, illuminated by fire and the glow of soul power. Shouts of battle, roars of beasts, clashes of soul skills, and the agonizing cries of the dying... all sorts of sounds mingled into a cruel symphony, assaulting their eardrums.

The battle was extremely brutal.

Those bloodshot-eyed soul beasts seemed oblivious to fear and pain, relentlessly charging towards the "Seven Star Battle Formation" formed by the city's defense forces. Although the battle formation was exquisite and the coordination was impeccable, the sheer number of these beasts and their frenzied onslaught caused the defensive line to crumble like a reef in a storm, enduring the relentless assault.

Almost every so often, a spirit beast would be annihilated by the combined forces of the battle formation, its massive body crashing to the ground; but at the same time, this would inevitably be accompanied by the muffled groans or screams of human spirit masters—

Their armor was torn apart by claws, their limbs severed by fangs, or they were struck by the bizarre innate soul skills of some kind of soul beast. The seriously wounded were pulled back into the formation for treatment by healing soul masters behind them, while those with less luck simply collapsed into pools of blood, never to be heard again. Life was being consumed here at an alarming rate.

"Look there."

Wang Qiu'er suddenly spoke softly, pointing her slender fingers to a relatively forward position on the flank of the battlefield.

Following her gaze, Tang Lan saw a small team of seven or eight people. They were not fully integrated into the city defense army's large-scale "Seven Star Battle Formation," but rather fought in a more flexible and mobile manner, supporting each other, and their strength was quite formidable. The leader was Yu Ting, who was wearing leather armor, wielding a soul-guided whip, and had a lithe figure.

Beside her, Yue Lan pursed her lips, holding the "Wind Soul Gentleman Orchid" that emitted a soft green light, continuously showering its healing light upon her injured teammates and nearby city defense soldiers in need of help. The other members of the squad were also fighting fiercely against soul beasts that outnumbered them several times over.

"It's Sister Yuting and the others."

Wang Qiu'er said.

Just then, City Lord Xu Yu finished handling the defense arrangements for a section of the city wall and returned to Tang Lan and the other person's side.

His gaze also fell in the direction of Yuting's team, and he explained.

"These Soul Hunters who came with the caravan are all quite strong. Now that we need manpower, I hired them temporarily to help defend the city at three times the usual commission. Elder Han of the Guangyan Merchant Guild also vouched for them. In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are necessary. Relying solely on the city's own forces is indeed insufficient to withstand the potentially even more ferocious beast tide attacks that may follow."

His tone carried a sense of helplessness, but also a hint of careful consideration regarding resources. Hiring outside Soul Masters was certainly costly, but it was still better than the city falling and everyone dying.

Tang Lan nodded slightly, indicating his understanding. He turned his gaze back to the battlefield. He wasn't particularly worried about the safety of Yu Ting's team. With their strength and teamwork, they should be able to protect themselves as long as they didn't encounter any overly powerful individuals.

However, the balance of power on the battlefield can often be broken in an instant.

At a certain moment, several exceptionally deep and violent roars suddenly came from the depths behind the horde of soul beasts! Immediately afterwards, several black shadows, far larger than the ordinary soul beasts around them and radiating a powerful soul energy fluctuation that made people's hearts tremble, suddenly rushed out from the darkness and chaos, like several heavy warhammers, and slammed into different positions of the human defense line!

Those are three soul beasts! One of them is over ten zhang tall, covered with thick gray-brown rock armor, and looks like a giant elephant. Its two curved tusks gleam with a cold light. It is the "Rock Domain Demon Elephant" that is over 80,000 years old!

On the other side is the "Ghost-faced Demon Bat," with bony wings on its back, a deep blue body, and moving like the wind; it is also over 70,000 years old! And there is the "Lava Earth Dragon," which lies prostrate on the ground, shaped like a lizard but with a mouth full of serrated teeth and skin flowing with dark red magma; it is also close to 80,000 years old!

The appearance of these three high-level soul beasts instantly stirred up a monstrous wave within the human defenses! Wherever they passed, ordinary "Seven Star Battle Formations" were utterly ineffective against them. A single charge from the Rock Domain Demon Elephant could shatter a small squad's defensive formation into pieces;

The Ghost-Faced Demon Bat is as fast as a ghost, its shriek carrying a mental attack, and it specifically targets support and healing-type Soul Masters for sneak attacks; the Lava Dragon spews out scorching lava that will injure or ignite anyone who touches it!

The balance was shattered in an instant! The casualties among human soul masters began to increase dramatically! Exclamations and screams rose and fell, and the defensive line showed obvious signs of wavering and gaps.

And coincidentally, the direction in which one of the Rock Domain Demon Elephants charged was precisely the flank area where Yuting's team was located!

"not good!"

On the city wall, Xu Yu's expression changed, and he was about to order the nearby Soul Saint experts to go and provide support.

But things changed too quickly!

The Rock Domain Demon Elephant seemed to have identified Yu Ting's team as a "tough nut to crack," or perhaps it was attracted by the relatively active soul power fluctuations emanating from them. With its head lowered, its two ferocious tusks, like battering rams, charged forward with an aura of crushing everything in its path! Wherever it passed, the ground trembled, and low-level soul beasts that had no time to dodge were trampled into mincemeat.

Yu Ting's team had just finished killing a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast and hadn't even had time to catch their breath when they felt the terrifying pressure coming towards them.

"Form ranks! Defend!"

Yu Ting shouted sharply, whipping out her long whip in an attempt to entangle the demonic elephant's forelimbs and hinder it. The two defensive Soul Emperors in the team also roared and charged forward, their shields and protective Soul Skills shining brightly.

However, how terrifying was the power of the 80,000-year-old Rock Domain Demon Elephant? The seemingly tough whip shadow shattered the moment it made contact. The shields and protective soul light of the two defensive Soul Emperors were broken like eggshells. The two screamed and were sent flying backward, coughing up blood. One had his chest caved in and was clearly not going to live. The other had his arm twisted and was seriously injured and unconscious!

In just one exchange, one was dead and the other was seriously injured!

"Old Wang! Old Li!"

Yu Ting's eyes were bloodshot with rage. Another offensive Soul Emperor and a control Soul Emperor in the team roared and attacked from the side, trying to draw the demonic elephant's attention. The demonic elephant impatiently swung its long trunk, which was like a steel whip, lashing out at the offensive Soul Emperor with a whooshing sound. The blow broke his bones, sending him flying more than ten meters away, his life hanging in the balance.

The vine bindings released by the Soul Emperor of the Control System were like child's play in front of the thick rock armor on the surface of the demonic elephant. They were easily broken, and then the demonic elephant stomped on it. Although it barely avoided being fatally crushed, its legs were broken, and it let out a shrill scream.

In the blink of an eye, the seven-member Soul Hunting Team was reduced to only Yu Ting, Yue Lan, and a male Soul Master of Agility-type who reacted extremely quickly and narrowly escaped the first wave of the demonic elephant's attack, all of whom remained capable of fighting or moving. The other four were either dead or severely injured, rendering them incapable of combat!

"Yue Lan! Retreat with the wounded! A Bao, cover us!"

Yu Ting's eyes instantly turned a resolute purplish-red, her third and fifth soul rings lit up simultaneously, the phantom of the Purple Flame Demon Wolf appeared behind her, her hands transformed into claws covered in purple flames, and her aura surged.

She knew they had no chance against this 80,000-year-old Rock Domain Demon Elephant, but she had to buy Yue Lan and her seriously injured teammates even a sliver of time to retreat! Even if it cost her her life!

"team leader!"

Tears welled up in Yue Lan's eyes, but she knew this was not the time to hesitate. She desperately channeled her soul power, showering healing light upon her fallen teammates in an attempt to stabilize their injuries and drag them away from the battlefield.

The agility-type male soul master, "A Bao," also turned red-eyed, his figure transforming into a shadow as he attempted to harass the demonic elephant's eyes and other vulnerable parts, thus relieving Yu Ting of the pressure.

The Rock Domain Demon Elephant was clearly enraged by the tenacity of these "little insects." It let out a deafening roar, raised its long trunk, and was about to smash it down on Yu Ting, who was blocking its way! With Yu Ting's cultivation level, if she took this blow head-on, she would be crippled even if she didn't die!

At this critical moment——

Two figures, like ghosts, flew down from the high city wall. Their speed was so fast that they left faint afterimages in the air. In the blink of an eye, they covered a distance of hundreds of meters and landed in front of Yu Ting, blocking the terrifying long trunk of the Rock Domain Demon Elephant that was about to crash down!

It was Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er!

Tang Lan still held Wang Qiu'er's hand with one hand, her posture calm and composed, as if it were just a casual step taken during a spring outing. But the moment Wang Qiu'er landed, she had already let go of her hand, facing the fierce, earth-shattering blow from the elephant's trunk.

Instead of retreating, she took half a step forward, and a golden light flashed in her right hand. Suddenly, a long spear appeared, its body gleaming gold, its design simple yet magnificent, and its shaft seemingly covered with dragon patterns—the Golden Dragon Spear!

Without any fancy moves, Wang Qiu'er held the gun in one hand and thrust it out at the thick elephant trunk!

"clang--!!!"

A deafening roar, like metal clashing, erupted, and a violent shockwave swept outwards from the point of impact, scraping away a layer of the surrounding ground! The scene of Wang Qiu'er being sent flying as imagined did not occur.

Instead, the rock demon elephant let out a muffled roar of pain. Its thick trunk was actually struck by the spear and lifted upwards. You could even see that the tip of the trunk was pierced by the spear light, and dark red blood was flowing out!

The massive body of the Rock Domain Demon Elephant was also slightly jolted backward by the recoil, and a hint of surprise seemed to flash in its scarlet eyes.

Using the force of the recoil, Wang Qiu'er gracefully took a half-step back, stabilizing herself. Her entire body began to radiate a dazzling golden light! That light was not simply the release of soul power; it also carried a noble, ancient, and domineering dragon's might! Her long golden hair moved without wind, her eyes transformed into majestic vertical pupils, and her aura suddenly soared, making her seem like a female war goddess who had walked from ancient times!

"The first soul skill, golden dragon body!"

Wang Qiu'er drank, and a layer of fine golden dragon scale phantoms covered her body, greatly increasing her defense and strength.

"Second Soul Skill, Dragon's Power!"

Golden light flowed into his limbs and bones, and a pure sense of power exploded forth.

"Third Soul Skill, Golden Dragon Fist!"

She clenched her left fist, golden light condensed, and without hesitation, she punched the demonic elephant in the face from a distance. A solid golden dragon-shaped fist aura roared out. Although the demonic elephant turned its head and blocked it with its rock armor, blasting away a pile of rubble, it still made its head sway.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Golden Dragon Fury!"

Wang Qiu'er's aura became increasingly violent, and her attack speed and power increased again. The Golden Dragon Spear danced, transforming into a golden spear curtain, and she launched a rapid and fierce attack on the Rock Domain Demon Elephant. The spear tip touched the thick rock armor, causing sparks and debris to erupt.

"The fifth soul skill, Golden Dragon Roar!"

She opened her mouth, and a high-pitched, majestic dragon roar, containing spiritual intimidation, suddenly erupted, the invisible sound waves rushing straight towards the Rock Domain Demon Elephant! The demon elephant's scarlet eyes showed a moment of unfocused pain, and its movements slowed for a second, clearly indicating that this mental attack had caused it considerable interference.

This series of soul skills was executed smoothly and powerfully, temporarily suppressing an 80,000-year-old rock demon elephant and forcing it to retreat and roar repeatedly!

The Rock Domain Elephant was completely enraged. It suddenly raised its front hooves and slammed them heavily onto the ground!

"Roar--!!!"

The earth trembled violently, and from its center, the ground within a radius of tens of meters rolled like waves, with sharp, thick, yellowish-brown rock stalagmites piercing out like earth spikes! This was its innate soul skill, "Rock Stalagmite Hell"!

At the same time, a solid, yellowish-brown energy shield appeared on its body, protecting it firmly. With its defense activated, the demonic elephant, like a mad chariot, lowered its head, its terrifying tusks bristling, and launched another ferocious charge at Wang Qiu'er, determined to crush this "little insect" that had injured it!

Wang Qiu'er remained fearless, her movements incredibly agile as she darted and weaved among the densely packed, piercing rock formations. Her golden dragon spear swung, thrusting, parrying, and striking the demonic elephant's tusks, trunk, and even its shielded body, creating a continuous barrage of explosions. Golden light clashed fiercely with yellowish-brown light, their soul power surging.

The battle attracted a great deal of attention from the surrounding area. The pressure on the city defense forces was greatly reduced, allowing them to re-establish their formation and deal with the other soul beasts. Yu Ting, Yue Lan, and the others also took the opportunity to drag their seriously injured teammates to a safer rear, and then watched with great tension the fierce battle that was completely beyond their level.

Yu Ting watched the figure fighting the giant beast like a Valkyrie in the golden light, and then looked at Tang Lan standing quietly beside her, as if watching a performance. She was utterly shocked.

They...were indeed hiding unimaginable strength!

The fierce battle continued. Although Wang Qiu'er temporarily held the upper hand, the Rock Domain Demon Elephant was thick-skinned and had astonishing defense, making a quick kill no easy task. However, Wang Qiu'er possessed a wealth of combat experience. She was constantly looking for an opportunity.

Finally, just as Wang Qiu'er skillfully dodged the demonic elephant's violent charge, its old power exhausted and new power yet to be generated, and the shield's light fluctuated slightly, a brilliant golden light shone in Wang Qiu'er's eyes!

"It's now!"

She moved with ghostly speed, dodging the sweeping long nose, and the Golden Dragon Spear transformed into a golden lightning bolt, piercing with unparalleled precision into the demonic elephant's scarlet left eye, which was wide open in rage!